NEW YORK -- The lottery for the top pick in next year's WNBA draft will be held Sept. 26, the day before the start of the playoffs, the league announced Wednesday.

The lottery will determine the order of the first four picks in April's draft, among the four teams that don't make the playoffs this year. Washington, Tulsa and Phoenix have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

The final team for the lottery will be either New York or Chicago, who began the day tied for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The rest of the first-round selections will be in inverse order of teams' records during the regular season.

Phoenix has had the top pick twice, in 2007 (Lindsey Harding) and 2004 (Diana Taurasi), and Washington in 1999 (Chamique Holdsclaw).